Chapter 14: The Age of Absolutism (1550-1800)

Flashcards covering key events, absolute monarchs, political developments, and wars across Europe from 1550 to 1800 as detailed in Chapter 14.

What empires did Charles I of Spain inherit, leading him to take the name Charles V?

In 1516, Charles I became king of Spain and ruler of the Spanish colonies in the Americas. When his other grandfather died in 1519, he inherited the Hapsburg empire, which included the Holy Roman Empire and the Netherlands, taking the name Charles V.

How did Charles V divide his empire when he abdicated in 1556?

He left the Hapsburg lands in central Europe to his brother Ferdinand (who became Holy Roman emperor) and gave Spain, the Netherlands, southern Italian states, and Spain's overseas empire to his 29-year-old son, Philip II.

What was the Escorial, and what purpose did it serve for King Philip II of Spain?

The Escorial was Philip II's somber, isolated palace outside Madrid. It reflected his character and served as a church, a royal residence, and a tomb for the royal family.

What was the historical significance of the Battle of Lepanto in 1571?

Spain and its Italian allies soundly defeated an Ottoman fleet off the coast of Greece, demonstrating Spanish military power and reinforcing Philip II's role as the defender of the Roman Catholic Church.

What were the statistics and outcome of the Spanish Armada's attempt to invade England in 1588?

The Armada sailed with over 130 ships, 20,000 men, and 2,400 pieces of artillery. The lumbering Spanish ships were outmaneuvered by faster English ships in the English Channel and scattered by strong winds, ending in total defeat for Spain.

What literary work published during Spain's Siglo de Oro is considered Europe's first modern novel, and who wrote it?

Don Quixote, written by Miguel de Cervantes, which satirizes medieval tales of chivalry through the adventures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.

What occurred during the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre on August 24, 1572?

A plot by Catholic royals during a royal wedding resulted in the slaughter of 3,000 French Protestants (Huguenots), followed by thousands more deaths across France in the days that followed.

What was the main purpose of the Edict of Nantes issued by King Henry IV of France in 1598?

It granted the Huguenots (French Protestants) religious toleration and other freedoms to end decades of religious strife in France.

How did Cardinal Richelieu strengthen royal authority as chief minister to King Louis XIII?

He destroyed the political and military power of the Huguenots by smashing their walled cities, and reduced the independence of nobles by defeating their private armies and destroying their fortified castles.

Why did King Louis XIV adopt the sun as his symbol, and what phrase expressed his view of absolute power?

He argued that just as the sun stands at the center of the solar system, the Sun King stands at the center of the nation. He expressed his absolute power with the phrase "L'état, c'est moi" ("I am the state").

What mercantilist policies did finance minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert implement under Louis XIV?

He cleared new lands for farming, encouraged mining and luxury trades like lacemaking, placed high tariffs on imported goods, and fostered overseas colonies such as New France and colonies in India.

What was the levée, and how did Louis XIV use court rituals at Versailles to neutralize the threat of French nobles?

The levée (rising) was an elaborate morning ritual where nobles competed for the honor of serving the king while he dressed. By luring nobles to Versailles as courtiers angling for prestige and tax exemptions, Louis prevented them from plotting as rival warlords.

What were the economic consequences of Louis XIV revoking the Edict of Nantes in 1685?

More than 100,000 hard-working and prosperous Huguenots fled France for England, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, and the Americas, severely damaging the French economy.

What document was King Charles I forced to sign by Parliament in 1628 before getting approval for new taxes?

The Petition of Right, which prohibited the king from raising taxes without Parliament's consent or imprisoning anyone without legal justification.

Who were the two opposing factions in the English Civil War, and who commanded the parliamentary forces?

The Cavaliers (supporters of King Charles I) fought the Roundheads (forces of Parliament made up of country gentry, manufacturers, and Puritans), led by Oliver Cromwell and his New Model Army.

What unprecedented action did the English Parliament take following the defeat of Charles I in 1649?

Parliament set up a court that tried King Charles I, condemned him as a "tyrant, traitor, murderer, and public enemy," and executed him by beheading on a scaffold.

What primary political and civil protections were guaranteed by the English Bill of Rights of 1689?

It established parliamentary superiority over the monarchy, gave the House of Commons the "power of the purse," barred Roman Catholics from the throne, prohibited monarchical interference in parliamentary debates, abolished excessive fines, and affirmed habeas corpus.

Who served as Britain's first prime minister, and how did he shape the cabinet system between 1721 and 1742?

Robert Walpole, a Whig leader who molded the cabinet into a unified body by requiring all members to agree on major policy issues.

What specific event in May 1618 triggered the outbreak of the Thirty Years' War?

The Defenestration of Prague, where rebellious Protestant noblemen tossed two royal Hapsburg officials out of a castle window in Prague.

What major territorial and political changes resulted from the Peace of Westphalia in 1648?

France gained territory on its Spanish and German frontiers, Hapsburg princes in the Holy Roman Empire gained near-total independence, and the Netherlands and Swiss Federation were officially recognized as independent states.

What conflict was triggered when Frederick II of Prussia seized Silesia from Austria in 1740?

The eight-year War of the Austrian Succession, in which Empress Maria Theresa defended her right to rule Hapsburg lands.

How did King Frederick William I of Prussia gain control over the Prussian nobility (Junkers)?

He gave Junkers positions in the army and government, which reduced their independence and allowed him to build one of the best-trained military forces in Europe.

What reforms did Peter the Great enforce in Russia to advance his policy of westernization?

He forced landowning nobles (boyars) to serve the state, shave their beards, and wear Western clothes, brought the Russian Orthodox Church under state control, improved education, simplified the alphabet, and built a European-style army and navy.

What new capital city did Peter the Great establish along the Baltic coast as a "window on the West"?

St. Petersburg, built on swampy land won from Sweden along the Neva River at the cost of thousands of serf lives.

How was Poland eliminated as an independent nation in the late 18th century?

Through three separate partitions in 1772, 1793, and 1795, Catherine the Great of Russia, King Frederick II of Prussia, and Emperor Joseph II of Austria divided up Polish territory until the country vanished from the map.